Captain Hitsugaya's Sick Day
by Ari 347
Summary: Matsumoto thinks he's sick. Toshiro completely disagrees. What happens when Karin gets involved?


**A/N:** So I recently began to read/watch Bleach, and I have to say, I am a HUGE fan! Over the weekend the Plot Bunny came to visit and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote this, so here you go! Enjoy!

For anyone who thought that this was a companion to my Harry Potter/Prince of Tennis crossover, I'm sorry! I will update that soon, I promise!

* * *

Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya was not sick. The reason he wasn't completing paperwork quite as fast as usual must have been because of Matsumoto. Yes, that was it. It was her fault, for sure. Even when she wasn't in the room, she was disturbing him.

He rubbed his dripping nose and reached over to get another stack of paperwork. The words began to swim before his eyes, forcing him to rub them, hard. This had to get done now, before Matsumoto showed up.

"Oh Captain!" Rangiku Matsumoto burst into the room, wrapping her captain in her usual boisterous hug. "Well, you're certainly feeling quite warm today. Are you sick?"

"Obviously not." Toshiro shoved her away and stood up. He looked out the window at the training grounds, checking on the squad. "Don't you have paperwork to do?"

Matsumoto pouted, but went back to her desk. The pair worked in silence for a few minutes until Toshiro sneezed.

"Captain…"

"Matsumoto, this is none of your concern. I am fine."

"I know, you keep saying that, but won't you go to Captain Unohana? For me? Just in case?" Matsumoto batted her eyelashes in an attempt to get the cranky captain to listen to her for once. "I'll even do my paperwork without complaint. You know how much you like that."

Toshiro fixed her with a look, but after a few minutes nodded. "All right. But I'm holding you to that. And if I am not ill, you will be sitting here doing paperwork for the foreseeable future."

Gulping, Matsumoto nodded and turned to the mountain of paperwork on her desk.

* * *

"It seems like everything is in order, Captain Hitsugaya. It's a simple cold." Unohana watched the smaller captain run his fingers through his hair in annoyance. "All you need is some rest and you'll be back in shape in no time. Take off a couple of days."

"With all due respect, Captain, I am fine. A cold is not something I will allow to put me to bed." Toshiro got off the bed and began to put on his haori. "There is no need for coddling."

"Toshiro…" Tilting his chin up, Unohana forced the other captain to look her in the eyes. "It can and will get worse if you are not careful. Take off the rest of the day to relax, and you'll be as good as new tomorrow."

"I'll stay in the office and do paperwork. I can't take off the entire day, what would Lieutenant Matsumoto do? Finding Squad 10 in shambles because I couldn't handle a simple cold would be worse than the cold itself," Toshiro retorted. He pulled away and began to head to the door. "Thank you, Captain. And it's Captain Hitsugaya, not Toshiro."

Unohana hid a grin and watched Toshiro leave the room. "Captain, you aren't going to stop him?" Isane asked.

"No, not yet. He'll learn soon enough what happens when one ignores the advice of Squad 4."

The next morning found Toshiro barely able to get out of bed. His head spun and his dinner appeared to be attempting to make itself known. But it was a cold. Unohana had diagnosed him yesterday. He was a captain of the Gotei 13. A cold was nowhere near as terrible as some of the other injuries he'd faced. It wasn't even an injury.

He sat down by his desk, hoping against hope that Matsumoto would decide not to show up today. Not that that was good, but it was preferable to having to deal with her while he was in this state. Going over to the kettle, Toshiro made himself a cup of tea, noting that his hands were trembling.

"Morning, Captain!" Matsumoto called through the door. Toshiro groaned and sat back down, determined not to allow his assistant captain to bother him more than necessary. "Feeling better?"

"I am fine, Lieutenant Matsumoto. I was fine yesterday, and I am fine today." Taking a small sip from the cup of tea, he glared at her over the rim. "Get working. There is more paperwork today."

"If you say so." She snuck him a quick look and went to her desk.

The pair worked in silence, Matsumoto occasionally glancing over at her captain to reassure herself that he was okay. Toshiro found himself easily distracted by the smallest of things, up to and including Matsumoto's breathing, which he usually ignored easily.

"Yo, Toshiro!" Ichigo burst into the office, closely followed by Rukia and Renji. Toshiro groaned and pressed his head to his desk. "Long time no see."

"It's Captain Hitsugaya. I would assume, after reminding you often enough, you would retain that knowledge." Lifting his head, Toshiro fixed the new interruptions with as evil a glare as he'd ever given.

Ichigo shrugged and looked at the small captain. "You look like you're going to crash, Toshiro. Are you sick?"

"No, I am not. Now would you all kindly exit this room and LEAVE ME ALONE!" Toshiro stood up and glared at them. Or at least, he tried to. He felt himself swaying and after a few minutes, he crashed to the floor.

* * *

The next thing he knew he was flat on a soft bed, murmured voices above him. He tried to crack open an eyelid, to no avail. "Sh, he's waking up," he heard someone whisper. The voice sounded like Karin Kurosaki, but it couldn't be. She should've been in the world of the living, not here.

Toshiro forced himself awake and in a sitting position. As his teal eyes opened, he caught sight of Karin, Ichigo, Unohana, and Matsumoto standing above him. "What is going on?" he shouted. Or tried to. His voice came out raspy, deeper than it usually was.

"You are running a 105 degree fever. That is what is going on." Unohana pressed down on his shoulders, forcing him flat on his back. "You are not to leave your room until I give you permission. And no one else is allowed to, so don't even attempt to convince anyone."

"All right." She moved out of his line of sight, and Karin moved into it. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at your house?"

"I came to visit you, since you can't give me the same consideration. Lucky me, I get to watch you collapse of a fever. Matsumoto said that you'd been feeling lousy since yesterday. Why didn't you rest?" Karin sat down beside him, gently sponging his forehead. "Just by the way, once you're better, I'm going to kick your butt."

"Of course you will. Now get off me."

A glaring Ichigo entered his field of vision. "You scared her. I think you owe it to her to cooperate for once."

"Head Captain Yamato said that you've been put on indefinite leave until you're better. So now you won't ever be out of my sight." Matsumoto sat down on his other side, her hand resting on his chest. "Why don't you listen to me? Ever? I'm not dumb."

"I…apologize." Toshiro sighed and turned back to Karin. "Thank you, Kurosaki."

"Look, I know you don't believe in letting anyone call you by your first name, but I'm fine with it. So get used to it." Karin met his gaze and Toshiro saw the worry in her eyes. "I'm staying here until you're better. I mean, really better. Because Matsumoto said that you always overwork yourself, and I don't want you to do that."

"He does. You know you do, Captain, don't argue. Now just lie there and rest. No one is allowed to bother you until you're fully healed." Patting his arm, Matsumoto ignored the annoyed look Toshiro sent her way. "You're in charge of him, Karin."

"I'll keep him quiet." She went back to wiping his forehead, the motion more soothing than Toshiro let on.

It was nearly a week later that Toshiro found himself sitting outside the Squad 10 barracks, watching the other Shinigami train. Hearing soft footsteps, he turned to find Karin scuffing her foot against the dirt. "Sit. You don't have to stand there the whole time."

"I wasn't planning on it. I was just waiting until you'd notice me." She sat down beside him, her soccer ball between their feet. "Does Captain Unohana let you play soccer?"

"She doesn't even want me out of my room just yet. I'm not going to ask her to go that far." Toshiro gave the girl a rare grin. "But I suppose that if I don't ask…"

"You can't be told no." Shooting him a mischievous grin of her own, Karin jumped up and grabbed his hand. "I already found somewhere that she won't find us."

"I'm sure you have," he responded. Toshiro allowed himself to be pulled along to a field behind Squad 6, just behind Captain Kuchiki's mansion.

Karin dropped the ball to the ground and looked at Toshiro. He was still pale, and a little thinner than he'd been the last time she'd seen him, but for all intents and purposes, he was still Toshiro. Still the same stubborn, bratty, cranky, amazing captain. "So what are we waiting for?" he called over. Karin shook her head and laughed.

"Let's go!"


End file.
